By Angi Bair

We live in a world of opposites—good and bad, up and down, men and women, yin and yang, dark and light, morning and night, hot and cold… and the list goes on. Without opposites, nothing has meaning. We don’t understand “up” without “down,” or “light” without “dark.” Each side is necessary. It’s part of the Universal Law of Polarity.

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so....righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one." — 1 Ne 2:11

Woman was created from man (Adam’s rib), and now all men are born of women. They’re opposites—yet connected as one.

Our lives are full of opposites—from our genetic makeup to our relationships and experiences. Ever heard the phrase “opposites attract”? That’s because they’re meant to. They complete each other. We often label experiences as “good” or “bad,” but the truth is, they complement each other—and we grow from both. When we learn to recognize this, we can move forward with more faith and hope in what’s coming.

Napoleon Hill wrote in Think and Grow Rich,

“Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

Let's think for a minute of the ultimate opposition in experiences. Christ was crucified on the cross in an extreme and painful manner. This experience could be described as "horrific", "terrible", "the worst thing ever". But from this "negative" experience comes the most beautiful and loving gift to each of us. The opposite of this crucifixion is the Atonement. Jesus gave his life so that we may all be forgiven and cleansed of our sins. What a beautiful and precious gift. Was the road easy to achieve this glorious gift? Would we truly appreciate this gift if it were just given to us without an understanding of the sacrifice it took? Without the Law of Opposition this gift would not have meaning to us and would not be as glorious in our minds as it truly is. Only by understanding the opposite of the gift and the pain and suffering it took to receive the gift, do we truly recognize and see its beauty and splendor. We can truly have gratitude for the gift we have received because we understand its meaning.

This is the Law of Opposition in action. And it’s not just in scripture or history—it shows up in everyday life, too.

Even when something seems all bad, there is always something equally good hidden within it. We may not see it right away. It may not feel like it. But by law, it’s there. The key is to look for it—to search for the blessing inside the burden. When we do that, we often discover the good outweighs the bad. And what felt like a setback becomes the very thing that fuels our growth.

It reminds me of Monsters Inc. The monsters were powering their city by scaring kids and collecting screams. But the kids grew numb, and the screams got weaker. The city faced a power crisis. Then, the monsters discovered something wild: laughter—the opposite of fear—produced even more energy. It was more powerful, more sustainable, and created joy for both the kids and the monsters.

From the kids’ perspective, they were constantly being scared (negative experiences) until they became desensitized. Then came laughter (a positive experience), and with it: joy, energy, excitement—not just for them, but for the entire city.

That’s the Law of Polarity again: within every negative is the seed of something equal or greater.

So the next time life hands you lemons—look for the pitcher. Make lemonade.

When you’re facing adversity, failure, or heartache, pause and ask: What’s the seed of something greater here? That question might just unlock more joy, purpose, and power than you ever imagined.